diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
index 30a20e98ab..63620892cd 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start.go
@@ -38,7 +38,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/shirou/gopsutil/cpu"
 	gopshost "github.com/shirou/gopsutil/host"
 	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
-	"github.com/spf13/pflag"
 	"github.com/spf13/viper"
 
 	cmdcfg "k8s.io/minikube/cmd/minikube/cmd/config"
@@ -171,7 +170,21 @@ func runStart(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	validateKubernetesVersion(existing)
 
 	ds, alts, specified := selectDriver(existing)
-	validateBaseImage(cmd.Flag(kicBaseImage), ds.Name)
+	if cmd.Flag(kicBaseImage).Changed {
+		if !isBaseImageApplicable(ds.Name) {
+			exit.Message(reason.Usage,
+				"flag --{{.imgFlag}} is not available for driver '{{.driver}}'. Did you mean to use '{{.docker}}' or '{{.podman}}' driver instead?\n"+
+					"Please use --{{.isoFlag}} flag to configure VM based drivers",
+				out.V{
+					"imgFlag": kicBaseImage,
+					"driver":  ds.Name,
+					"docker":  registry.Docker,
+					"podman":  registry.Podman,
+					"isoFlag": isoURL,
+				},
+			)
+		}
+	}
 
 	starter, err := provisionWithDriver(cmd, ds, existing)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1191,29 +1204,8 @@ func validateKubernetesVersion(old *config.ClusterConfig) {
 	}
 }
 
-// validateBaseImage checks that --base-image is not passed if the drive being in use is KIC (docker/podman)
-// if so, the function exits the process
-func validateBaseImage(imageFlag *pflag.Flag, drv string) {
-	if !validBaseImageFlag(imageFlag.Changed, drv) {
-		exit.Message(reason.Usage,
-			"flag --{{.imgFlag}} is not available for driver '{{.driver}}'. Did you mean to use '{{.docker}}' or '{{.podman}}' driver instead?\n"+
-				"Please use --{{.isoFlag}} flag to configure VM based drivers",
-			out.V{
-				"imgFlag": imageFlag.Name,
-				"driver":  drv,
-				"image":   imageFlag.Value,
-				"docker":  registry.Docker,
-				"podman":  registry.Podman,
-				"isoFlag": isoURL,
-			},
-		)
-	}
-}
-func validBaseImageFlag(baseImageFlagSet bool, driver string) bool {
-	if baseImageFlagSet {
-		return registry.IsKIC(driver)
-	}
-	return true
+func isBaseImageApplicable(drv string) bool {
+	return registry.IsKIC(drv)
 }
 
 func getKubernetesVersion(old *config.ClusterConfig) string {
diff --git a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
index 13da5639e4..a0752c1fd6 100644
--- a/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
+++ b/cmd/minikube/cmd/start_test.go
@@ -282,47 +282,28 @@ func TestSuggestMemoryAllocation(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestBaseImageFlagDriverCombo(t *testing.T) {
-	type testStruct struct {
-		description string
-		imageSet    bool
-		driver      string
-	}
-	invalidCombos := []testStruct{
-		{"KVM2 with flag", true, driver.KVM2},
-		{"VirtualBox with flag", true, driver.VirtualBox},
-		{"HyperKit with flag", true, driver.HyperKit},
-		{"VMware with flag", true, driver.VMware},
-		{"VMwareFusion with flag", true, driver.VMwareFusion},
-		{"HyperV with flag", true, driver.HyperV},
-		{"Parallels with flag", true, driver.Parallels},
-	}
-	validCombos := []testStruct{
-		{"Docker with flag", true, driver.Docker},
-		{"Podman with flag", true, driver.Podman},
-		{"Docker w/o flag", false, driver.Docker},
-		{"Podman w/o flag", false, driver.Podman},
-		{"KVM2 w/o flag", false, driver.KVM2},
-		{"VirtualBox w/o flag", false, driver.VirtualBox},
-		{"HyperKit w/o flag", false, driver.HyperKit},
-		{"VMware w/o flag", false, driver.VMware},
-		{"VMwareFusion w/o flag", false, driver.VMwareFusion},
-		{"HyperV w/o flag", false, driver.HyperV},
-		{"Parallels w/o flag", false, driver.Parallels},
+	tests := []struct {
+		driver        string
+		canUseBaseImg bool
+	}{
+		{driver.Docker, true},
+		{driver.Podman, true},
+		{driver.None, false},
+		{driver.KVM2, false},
+		{driver.VirtualBox, false},
+		{driver.HyperKit, false},
+		{driver.VMware, false},
+		{driver.VMwareFusion, false},
+		{driver.HyperV, false},
+		{driver.Parallels, false},
 	}
 
-	for _, test := range validCombos {
-		t.Run(test.description, func(t *testing.T) {
-			if !validBaseImageFlag(test.imageSet, test.driver) {
-				t.Errorf("invalidBaseImageFlag(base-image-set=%v, driver=%v): got false, expected true",
-					test.imageSet, test.driver)
-			}
-		})
-	}
-	for _, test := range invalidCombos {
-		t.Run(test.description, func(t *testing.T) {
-			if validBaseImageFlag(test.imageSet, test.driver) {
-				t.Errorf("invalidBaseImageFlag(base-image-set=%v, driver=%v): got true, expected false",
-					test.imageSet, test.driver)
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.driver, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got := isBaseImageApplicable(test.driver)
+			if got != test.canUseBaseImg {
+				t.Errorf("isBaseImageApplicable(driver=%v): got %v, expected %v",
+					test.driver, got, test.canUseBaseImg)
 			}
 		})
 	}